1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to child restraint devices and, more particularly, to child restraint devices especially adapted for use on shopping carts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known for patrons of supermarkets and the like to use shopping carts. Many shopping carts are equipped with seats for children. For added safety of a child sitting in a shopping cart seat, a child restraint device is often provided. Generally, such child restraint devices include straps for securing the child to the shopping cart seat.
Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to restraining children in shopping cart seats, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,655,502, 5,967,607, and 6,206,471. Each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,655,502, 5,967,607, and 6,206,471 discloses flaccid safety straps that are used as seat belts for shopping carts equipped with seats for children. The respective seat belts hang freely when not in use. As a result, such seat belts can become twisted and tangled. Consequently, when it the seat belts are needed, they may not be readily available. Often, if a supermarket patron has a small child, it is very difficult for the patron to untangle the seat belt and hold the child at the same time. In this respect, it would be desirable if seat belts for shopping cart seats would be provided, wherein the seat belts do not get twisted or tangled when not in use.
Still other features would be desirable in a shopping cart mounted child restraint apparatus. In this respect, it is noted that the handle of a shopping cart generally serves a single function, that of being grasped by a user for controlling motion of the shopping cart. To make better use of a shopping cart handle, it would be desirable if the handle of a shopping cart could also serve an additional function of storing seat belts that are not in use so they do not get twisted and tangled.
When seat belts for a shopping cart are not being used, it would be desirable if the unused seat belts were automatically placed in a stored condition so that they are automatically prevented from being twisted or tangled.
Generally, conventional shopping carts do not have provision for seat belt storage. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided that enables a handle of a shopping cart to serve as a storage device for seat belts when the seat belts are not in use.
Moreover, since conventional shopping carts do not have provision for seat belt storage, it would be desirable to provide a device which enables a conventional shopping cart to be retrofitted for a handle that includes seat belt storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,571 may be of interest for its disclosure of a shopping cart handle cover. U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,998 may be of interest for its disclosure of a baby seat cover.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use seat belts on shopping carts, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a shopping cart mounted child restraint apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) prevents the seat belts from becoming twisted or tangled when not in use; (2) provides a handle of a shopping cart that also serves an additional function of storing seat belts that are not in use so they do not get twisted and tangled; (3) provides for unused seat belts to be automatically placed in a stored condition so that they are automatically prevented from being twisted or tangled; (4) enables a handle of a shopping cart to serve as a storage device for seat belts when the seat belts are not in use; and (5) enables a conventional shopping cart to be retrofitted for a handle that includes seat belt storage. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique shopping cart mounted child restraint apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.